


Under the Stars

by Cheshiure



Series: The Weight of the Sky [1]
Category: Persona 2, Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, And I'm going to do my best to try and own that, Ficlet, Gen, I'm going to say straight up that this is a sky factory au, It's not really a crossover though because it took some heavy liberties with the roles of the gods, World lore, Worldbuilding, god AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22395994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheshiure/pseuds/Cheshiure
Summary: One quiet evening, the story of the beginning is told.
Relationships: None
Series: The Weight of the Sky [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611958
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	Under the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a fun little au idea about Achievement Hunter's Sky Factory 3 series and rapidly got out of hand. I am notoriously terrible at finishing anything, so for now this is a one shot, though perhaps I'll expand on it later. 
> 
> The lovely @cantfoolajoker beta'd this for me, and I am endlessly appreciative for their grammar skills and patience.

The camp is silent, save for the crackling of the campfire. All eyes are raptly focused on the storyteller seated at the head of the group. She lets the silence simmer for a moment, breathing in the atmosphere of the audience’s excitement and testing the patience, waiting until she feels the proper gravity of their attention.

“In the beginning, there were two.” 

Her voice is clear, and steady. The snapping of the fire itself seems to hush at her tone, quieting as the embers still to listen. 

“The vast darkness, and the blinding light. Brothers, vast and primordial, and constantly, constantly at war,” she explains, surveying her audience, deeming them satisfactorily enthralled before she continues.

“In their conflict, they were perfectly matched; whenever one brother gained some ground, he would quickly lose it, and regain it again with the turning of the wheel. This battle raged on for countless eons, and with each passing moment their frustration grew. Finally, in an act of desperation, the lighter brother took hold of his divine essence and tore a shred of it from his very being, creating Maya, the First God. Together, the two gained the edge in the fight, and after a struggle struck a near-fatal blow against the dark brother, ending the stalemate. Nyarlathotep was driven back to recover from the wound, and Philemon and Maya shared the first moment of peace in time immemorial.”

The campfire breaks into murmurs, some new to the tale assuming it was completed, while veterans remained still and quiet, expectant.

“It was not to last.

“By rending his own flesh, Philemon had created a wound which would not seal. The hemorrhaging of divine essence could not be stemmed, only directed. With Maya’s help, Philemon used the flow to shape a seal over Nyarlathotep’s resting place, ensuring that if his brother ever recovered, he would not be set loose into the realm again.

“As his divinity spread, the seal solidified, and upon it patches of his power pooled in five places. These five collections of essence became the Gods of this new world.” The storyteller stands, sweeping her arms low in a broad, all-encompassing gesture.

“Tatsuya, the oldest of the new Gods, domain of the Earth. He controls the seasons, the ocean, the mountains, and the reaches of the plow, blessing those who tend his land well,” she continues, bringing her hands to clasp over her heart.

“Minato, God of Gateways, whose hold is over both entrance and exit from this world. His realm is of beginnings and endings, and those who seek comfort in death often find peace in his service instead.” Another gesture, this time bringing her hands down to form a bowl shape just above her waist.

“In contrast to Minato, Hamuko’s domain is all that happens to the living within it. The trials and triumphs, the blood, sweat, and tears; all belong to the God of the Living, and she lends her protection to those who protect others.” She lifts her hands skywards, holding her wrists together as her fingers splayed outwards, imitating the rays of the sun.

“Yu, the Solar God, holds domain over the sky of daytime, light, and offers patronage to scholars and seekers of truth.” She curls her fingers inward, shaping her palms into a crescent.

“And the youngest God, Akira, who rules the domain of the night sky, the moon and stars, and all the hidden undersides of the world and their inhabitants.” 

Cycle complete, she sits again, bringing her hands to rest in her lap. 

“These are the guardians of this world, and to them all the civilizations of man owe their gratitude, for they have shaped this world into one in which all humans may prosper.” Finally, she inclines her head, indicating that her story is finished, and after a few moments the spell breaks. The hush of chatter strikes up again, people coming up to congratulate her on a tale well-spun. 

A harried mother finds her ear, apologetic and embarrassed. “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but my son has a question about your story and he’s very insistent it be answered.”

The woman laughs, waving her off. “It’s no trouble, not at all. What was it that caught your mind, little one?” She says, turning to face the little boy clinging to his mother’s skirt. 

The small child speaks boldly, his little brow furrowing. “You didn’t really finish! You said what all the new Gods did, but what happened to Maya?” 

The storyteller’s lips quirk into a small smile, and she moves to crouch beside him, bringing them to eye level. 

“Well, little one, you have an astute ear for detail. That ought to be rewarded. It’s not entirely clear what happened to Maya, as she has never made herself known. However, some believe that Maya never took up a post like the other Gods; instead, her duty is to walk the entire world, searching for any signs of Nyarlathotep’s return, and to tend to Philemon’s seal in its entirety, so that he may be prevented from ever returning.” She winks, and his mother smiles as the little boy’s eyes go wide, ruffling his hair softly. 

The boy darts off to spread the news, and his mother laughs, thanking the storyteller again. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I believe that spreading knowledge is its own reward.” She smiles, and sets about packing up her things. 

In the growing noise of the camp setting about its evening tasks, it is not difficult to slip away unnoticed. Once she is reasonably sure that no one is following, she looks up at the stars, all far younger than her, and studies their position. 

Stopping at the camp set her behind schedule, but she doesn’t regret it. Passing on Philemon’s legacy is a task worth any amount of delay. 

Maya sighs, hefting her pack, and sets out once again.


End file.
